Sterilisable cover for a pressurized aerosol container



Jan. 6, 1970 5 ALTQLINYAN ET AL. 3,487,979

STERILISABLE covER FOR A PRESSURIZED AEROSOL CONTAINER Original Filed Nov. 4. 1965 W mm A W v L m CH 2 E S 6 m H mm RP ATTORNEY- United States Patent Int. Cl. B67d 5/06, 5/32 US. Cl. 222-183 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sterilisable cover for a pressurized aerosol container which container is provided with aerosol actuating means and a discharge valve adapted to spray the contents of the pressurized aerosol container, which cover comprises two parts, a lower part adapted to cover the lower part of the container, and an upper part adapted to cover the upper part of the container provided with a shaped outlet through which the discharge valve of the container may discharge via the said actuating means, the two parts being removably engageable each with the other and providing for actuation of the discharge valve of the container by relative movement of the container and the said valve actuating means.

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 506,379, filed Nov. 4, 1965, now abandoned.

This invention is concerned with improvements in or relating to outer covers for pressurized aerosol containers. More particularly the invention is concerned with sterilisable outer covers for pressurized aerosol containers.

Pressurized aerosol containers may be used, inter alia, to deliver a spray of a germicidal or antibiotic powder and such sprays may find use in sterile locations, such as, for example, operating theatres, for the treatment or prophylaxis of infections in wounds.

The sterilisation of a pressurized aerosol container by conventional methods such as autoclaving is, of course, not feasible since at the temperatures involved the liquified propellant in the container will develop dangerously high pressures. Thus, the container itself must be used in a non-sterile condition and should be protected with a sterile covering when intended for use in sterile locations or for use by a sterile person. In the past this has generally been achieved by wrapping the container in sterile towels or the like with consequent obvious disadvantages in handling. It is an object of this invention to provide a sterilisable outer cover for a pressurized aerosol container, which cover is readily placed over the aerosol container and which permits ready use of the container.

According to the invention, therefore, there is provided sterilisable cover for a pressurized aerosol container, comprising two parts, a lower part to cover the lower part of the container and an upper part adapted to cover the upper part of the container and provided with a shaped outlet through which the discharge valve of the container may discharge, the two parts being so constructed and arranged as to be removably engageable each with the other and to provide for actuation of the discharge valve of the container.

The two parts of the cover according to the invention should, of course, be constructed of a heat sterilisable material. They may be constructed, for example of a thermoplastic material having a sufliciently high softening point, such as for example, nylon, or a polyolefin such as 3,487,979 Patented Jan. 6, 1970 polypropylene. Alternatively, they may be constructed of a thermo-setting resinous material such as phenol-formaldehyde resin.

In one form of construction of the cover according to the invention the two parts are so constructed that one part, for example, the top part, engages with the other part in a sliding clip fit so as to allow a relative movement of the two parts to permit actuation of the aerosol container valve. The sliding clip fit may be achieved by one of the parts, for example the lower part, being provided with a continuous annular depression into which engages a continuous or discontinuous inwardly directed rim on the other part; the width of the depression being such that the part may be moved a sufiicient distance relative to each other to permit actuation of an aerosol container valve. The parts may also be joined together by a sliding bayonet joint arrangement providing sufficient relative movement of the two parts.

In another form of construction the two parts fit together by a screw or bayonet cap action and one of the parts, preferably the upper part, is so deformable, for example by the inclusion of a bellows construction in part thereof, as to permit actuation of the aerosol container valve.

Alternatively where the two parts join together by a fixed screw or bayonet cap action the bottom of the lower part may be constructed so as to be deformable and to engage with the bottom of an aerosol container so that deformation of the bottom of the lower part presses the container towards the upper part of the cover and thus causes actuation of the aerosol valve.

The actual conformation of the two parts of the cover will depend upon the conformation of the container to be covered and the conformation of the upper part will 'be specially dependent upon the conformation of the aerosol actuator and valve arrangements.

In order that the invention may be well understood, two embodiments thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical cross section through one form of cover arrangement according to the invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a vertical cross section through another cover arrangement according to the invention.

Referring now to FIGURE 1 of the drawings a cover for an aerosol container 3 comprises a lower part 1 and an upper part 2. Lower part 1 has a circumferential indentation 4 in which engages with a clip fit, inwardly directed circumferential rim 5 of upper part 2. The vertical depth of indentation 4 is suflicient to allow part 3 to move a suflicient vertical distance to permit actuation of aerosol valve actuator 6 of container 3.

Referring now to FIGURE 2 of the drawings a cover for an aerosol container 3 comprises a lower part 1 and an upper part 2 screwed together by interacting screw threads 7 and 8 of parts 1 and 2 respectively. Upper part 1 is provided with a circumferential corrugated portion 9, which allows, by a bellows action, the portion of part 2 adjacent actuator 6 of aerosol container 3 to move a sufficient vertical distance to operate the valve mechanism of container 3.

We claim:

1. An aerosol dispensing package which can be made sterile, which comprises a pressurized aerosol container, the container being provided with a discharge tube and a discharge valve adapted to spray the contents of the pressurized aerosol container, and an outer cover for said container of a material capable of undergoing repeated sterilization, said cover comprising two readily separable parts, a lower part having a shape for covering the lower part of the container and having no openings therein other than that through which the lower part of the container is in- 3 troduced into the said lower part of the cover, and an upper having a shape forcovering the upper part of the container, said upper and lower parts being fitted together by a screw or bayonet cap joint and one of the parts being deformable for enabling the discharge valve of the container to be actuated, said upper part having a shaped extension corresponding in shape to the shape of the discharge tube of the container and fitting closely thereto and terminating adjacent to the end of the discharge tube and being only slightly longer than the discharge tube so that the end of the discharge tube is at all times within the shaped extension, the extension having an opening at the free end thereof extending axially of said extension and said discharge tube through which contents discharged through the discharge valve of the container are discharged, said upper part of said cover having no openings thereinv other than that through which the container is introduced into the said upper part of the cover and the opening in the shaped extension, said shaped extension fitting closely around the discharge tube of the container for permitting discharge of the contents of the container without afiecting sterility of the cover, whereby when the upper part and the lower part are engaged with each other with a container within the cover, the container is exposed only through the outlet in the shaped extension, so that the cover can be separately sterilised and the container thereafter placed in it to provide a sterile package for use in an operating room.

I References Cited I UNITED STATES PATENTS 2 11/1959 Meshberg 222162 STANLEY H. TOLLBERG, Primary Examiner 

